Re-invoking the spirit of two seasons ago, Ulster treated Cardiff's galaxy of internationals to a tortuous Friday night live show in Ravenhill, a near capacity crowd of 12,000 roaring the White Knights home to another famous home win.
Cardiff ultimately fielded an all-international team save for left-winger Craig Morgan, but whereas the sum of their individual parts were a good deal more than their collective performance, Ulster were considerably more cohesive. Harry Williams' team made better use of the conditions and the bench. By comparison Cardiff, undermined by basic errors all evening had a line-out of keystone cops variety yet, curiously, waited until the 78th minute to bring on one of their quartet of international replacements.
In the heel of the hunt, Cardiff cracked. As predictable as their atrocious line-out work was their inability to secure basic restarts. Three times they took the lead, and then conceded it again within two, two and six minutes.
As ever with their ultra professional back-up, Ulster appeared to have done their homework when Humphreys quickly put the ball in behind the left-footed left-winger Morgan, who sliced his return into touch. Ulster set up ruck ball infield off the ensuing line-out for Humphreys to get the crowd immediately into the game with a drop goal.
Neil Jenkins, on his first visit to Ravenhill, equalised with his first penalty but then put out on the full for Humprheys to launch a towering up-and-under which Rhys Williams and then Gareth Morgan completely missed. Grant Henderson snaffled the bouncing ball and fed James Topping, Cardiff killing the ruck ball for Humprheys to restore the home lead.
The Ulster line-out was going well and after Jenkins missed from 45 metres, Longwell nicked a Cardiff throw for Humphreys to make it 9-3. However, Jenkins landed his next effort, placed a deft kick for Tyrone Howe to concede an attacking throw, Craig Quinnell and Andy Lewis being held up short before Jenkins cut through an over-stretched defence and converted.
Ulster needed a quick riposte and were helped by Emyr Lewis fumbling the restart and a sliced Howley kick. Howe made a strong counter-attacking run up the middle and from the recycle Constable turned a two-on-two into a try by checking Gareth Thomas and then skinning him on the outside. Humphreys converted and after Jenkins had hit the upright with a straigthish 35 metre penalty, the Ulster captain landed a penalty on half-time to ensure Ulster were roared into the dressing-room with a 19-13 lead.
Humphreys, with a snap drop goal and a long-range penalty, had chances to increase the lead further before his sliced kick out on the full gave Cardiff a line-out 40 metres out. A big drive and a strong rumble up the middle by Pieter Muller were the prelude to Jenkins putting the prolific Craig Morgan over for his 50th Cardiff try in 61 games; the Ginger Monster converting.
Persistent drizzle ensured a stream of handling errors in an ultra-tense finale. Humphreys and Jenkins then exchanged further penalties before the Ulster pack really cranked things up, one of several huge line-out rumbles yielding an angled penalty which Humphreys landed.
Much of the last 15 minutes was reduced to aerial ping-pong as both sides desperately sought to keep the opposition out of field goal range but much to the crowd's mirth, Jenkins missed his third penalty of the night from 45 metres.
In the 80th minute another big line-out maul set up an angled Humphreys drop goal which was partially blocked. The ball bobbled invitingly yet tortuously in front of Rhys Williams, with a counter-attack on, but he fumbled and Howe dived on the loose ball to a deafening roar for a slightly uproarious try. Goodnight Cardiff and a good night for Ulster.
Scoring sequence: 2 mins Humphreys drop goal 3-0; 8 mins Jenkins pen 3-3; 13 mins Humphreys pen 6-3; 19 mins Humphreys pen 9-3; 27 mins Jenkins try and con 9-13; 29 mins Constable try, Humphreys con 16-13; 40 mins Humphreys pen 19-13; (half-time 19-13); 55 mins Morgan try, Jenkins con 19-20; 57 mins Humphreys pen 22-20; 59 mins Jenkins pen 22-23; 65 mins Humphreys pen 25-23; 80 mins Howe try, Humphreys con 32-23.
Ulster: G Henderson; J Topping, R Constable, J Bell, T Howe; D Humphreys (capt), B Free; J Fitzpatrick, R Weir, S Best, P Johns, G Longwell, R Nelson, T McWhirter, A Ward. Replacements - D Topping for Nelson (21 mins), M Blair for Johns (61 mins), C Boyd for Best (65 mins).
Cardiff: R Williams; N Walne, G Thomas, P Muller, C Morgan; N Jenkins, R Howley (capt); A Lewis, J Humphreys, S John, C Quinnell, M Voyle, D Baugh, E Lewis, M Williams. Replacements - G Kacala for Quinnell (78 mins).
Referee: Iain Ramage (Scotland).
